


AITA for trying to set up my secretary with another secretary?

by aunt_zelda



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Reddit AITA, Repression, Technology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:41:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26826775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aunt_zelda/pseuds/aunt_zelda
Summary: Modern AU where Vetinari asks the denizens of Reddit ... AITA?
Relationships: Rufus Drumknott/Havelock Vetinari
Comments: 5
Kudos: 26
Collections: Fic In A Box





	AITA for trying to set up my secretary with another secretary?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yelp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yelp/gifts).



> I couldn't resist the AITA prompt.

**AITA for trying to set up my secretary with another secretary?**

submitted by VeniVidi

Throwaway account because I dislike leaving paper trails online.

I’m a successful and influential local figure (55M) and my secretary (32M) is currently unattached. An old friend (F of a certain age) from out of town is visiting and I know her secretary (35F) is of a similar disposition to mine. I decided to conspire with my friend and set up our secretaries on a dinner date after work. Considering my secretary often works long hours and seldom has time to socialize, I thought I could assist in this matter. As I said I am influential and I have everything I desire in life, however the thought of his happiness has lately been occupying portions of my mind. I need to focus on my work and cannot afford distractions. The surest way of both freeing my busy mind and securing happiness for my secretary seemed to be this dinner assignation.

The date was at a tasteful but not too ostentatious restaurant. I assumed things went well, as my secretary is a thoroughly captivating individual and my friend’s secretary is reportedly quite adequate in her duties to my friend. To my dismay, after their date there has not been a follow up. No exchanges of gifts delivered to the office, no vacation time requested, not so much as a flirtatious text exchange during the breaks I insist he takes regularly. My secretary seems as he always has, though perhaps somewhat dejected when he thinks I am not looking in his direction.

This failure, combined with my mind’s inclination to solve puzzles and fix problems, has set my mind to even worse distraction than before. My friend assured me that her secretary did not reject mine, so I must conclude that he was the one who rejected her. Have I made an error in judgment, have I mistaken the situation? Perhaps my secretary does not favor women romantically, or anyone at all, and I embarrassed him. The idea of humiliating him, even inadvertently, has consumed me so that I had to take an additional three minutes on this morning’s crossword puzzle, and today was a Tuesday!

Did I go too far in pushing him to date someone? Worse, have I overstepped the boundaries of propriety before, multiple times, and will this be the final straw? The thought of losing my secretary at all frankly distresses me and I am not a man given to fits of distress. This is simply unacceptable behavior. I may as well resign my post if this madness, yes, madness, continues any longer.

So that is why I have come here. I am aware of Reddit due to certain so-called “viral” posts and thought this might be a place to ask for somewhat anonymous advice. Having scanned several such incidents on this forum I must conclude that, despite some dubious points of view, the majority of judgments made here seem to be in the right. Normally I would ask my secretary for his opinion on such a matter, but as he is at the heart of it that seems ill advised.

So there it is, denizens of Reddit. AITA?

 **Edit:** Truly reading comprehension is at an all-time low in this place. I am not pursuing my secretary romantically! I attempted to set him up with someone else and failed miserably. I only wish for his happiness and success in life and the thought of impeding him in either is extremely upsetting to me. I should not have expected empathy from an internet mob but I hoped for better insights than these.

 **Additional edit:** I had a long talk with my secretary and now we are engaged. I will not be soliciting comments from r/relationships. Thank you for your advice, denizens of Reddit.

* * *

-> Yeesh when I saw that age gap I knew. YTA for sure! It’s none of your business who your secretary bangs. Get a life! (Not his!)

* * *

-> You have for sure overstepped your boundaries! YTA, bosses need to step out of employees’ lives. Give that man a vacation, don’t arrange him a marriage like this is some kind of Jane Austen novel.

* * *

-> ESH, this sounds really weird and cringey but you have good intentions. You want your employee to be happy and thought you found someone he had some shared life experiences with. I know happily married people who met at company Christmas parties or whatever. Maybe have a talk with your secretary about what happened and make it clear you feel bad if you caused a problem?

* * *

-> Take it from a fellow boss, don’t mess about in the love lives of your employees. NTA yet, but you’re gonna be soon enough. Especially if, as I suspect, you’re fixating because you have feelings for this man yourself, and that’s the whole reason for this convoluted date arrangement.

* * *

-> ESH. This sounds exactly like the kind of stuff I was thinking years back about a close friend. I just wanted her to be happy, find someone nice and have a good relationship. Turns out I was super in love with her and nearly ruined our friendship in the process of figuring myself out. Do yourself and this guy a favor and have a good hard think to yourself about how you really feel.

* * *

-> RIP that poor other secretary in this story who got set up by her boss on a date with a guy who was also set up by his boss in some kind of weirdo power play thing.  
Oh btw YTA! I had a controlling boss who’d totally have pulled this type of crap when I worked for him. I hope your secretary leaves, soon.

* * *

-> Anyone get the sense this guy is projecting here? Like maybe examine why you’re fixated on your secretary’s love life my dude.

ESH, if you’re just awkwardly trying to get him set up that’s one thing, if you’re trying to control his love life YTA for sure.

* * *

-> Upvotes if you also misread and thought the secretary was a girl

* * *

-> NTA it’s kind of you to take an interest in your employees’ lives and happiness outside of work. This will instill loyalty in them and retain them among your staff.

* * *

-> Idk about this one but I think I gotta go with NTA. Sounds awkward as hell but you’ve got some serious repression going on. Maybe talk to someone about it? Have your secretary make an appointment … oh, whoops.

Seriously though you should talk to someone about this. If that’s a reason you hired this guy, because you like looking at him all day, YTA but you need some help. I wish you well on your journey.

* * *

-> Hmmmm NTA but not everyone is cut out for the long distance thing. Are you sure your secretary is up for that with this other secretary?

Edit: Also I thought we were supposed to call them Personal Assistants now, not secretaries?

* * *

-> As a secretary currently in love with my boss, if my boss started trying to nudge me towards someone else in a romantic sense I would probably die from sheer embarrassment. YTA if you do this to him, for all you know he might have feelings for you right now!

* * *

-> I cannot recommend dating in the workplace. My wife and our mutual partner met at work during the start-up phase of the company, and while it was exciting at first, we now have no work/life separation. It doesn’t help that our mutual partner literally sleeps in the basement of the office. We are stuck like this but it is not too late for you!

* * *

-> HELLO. I AM A 1054 YEAR OLD SECRETARY (SHE/HER) AND I SUGGEST LETTING YOUR SECRETARY KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. SOCIETY MAY JUDGE YOU BUT MATTERS OF THE HEART ARE PARAMOUNT. BOSS/SECRETARY RIGHTS!

* * *

->It sounds like you are risking an abuse of power. I strongly advise you to tread carefully, lest you commit a crime.

* * *

-> Upvotes for hot threeway with the ex and the secretary amirite lol


End file.
